Reviews

Fevers and Mirrors

Author: DK

09/01/2000 | ZEEN Magazine | Album Review

I have to admit that I was a bit jaded by the recent fawning over wunderkind Coner Oberst, leader of this rotating cast of Omaha indie rockers, but I'll also have to admit that a lot of it has merit. He's got an unmistakable voice that's become more and more defined and mature with each Bright Eyes release, especially noticeable in the hallowing Every Day and Every Night. Part of my problem with sensitive boy indie rock is that it often reeks of insincerity, but Coner Oberst, even with that perfect indie rock name, fucking bleeds his music and there's no faking such amazing lyrical and songwriting prowess. I mean, how perfect is the title 'A Line Allows Progress, A Circle Does Not' for a song about the cycles of substance abuse? And that's just the title of one song from many heartfelt stories. Musically there are avenues explored that only for brief moments resemble mangled country, mamba, pop, and others barely recognizable, cleverly layered or fading into handheld recordings and samples. Fevers and Mirrors, Bright Eyes latest album starts off with very Hayden-like vocals, further demonstrating a breathier and more mature voice that slowly unveils the shakier elements of Oberst's trademark voice. By the time the third track, 'The Calendar Hung Itself' (which is bound to become a bigtime hit in college radio circles) you're completely taken in by it's catchy near-mamba shake that you'll probably want to repeat it a few times before carrying on with the rest of the album. The finale, of sorts, is the slowly degenerating radio interview that erodes into the surreal. Not to be missed! Fevers and Mirrors is one of the few albums your local college station is playing that1s really worth your time, so if you1re needing a disc to fit a rainy day without putting
you to sleep (well, besides the big sleep anyway) you won't do much better than Bright Eyes. Totally worth the hype.